234 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



It is a common amusement with the In- 

 dians or the muleteers to hunt these alli- 

 gators, and it is curious how easily they are 

 killed. When any one passes by the shore 

 early in the morning, these animals awake 

 and run to the water, but, as I have remarked 

 previously, directly they are covered with 

 water they fancy themselves secure, although 

 only a few inches of water may be above 

 them, and three or four men on horseback 

 circling round them. They are killed either 

 with a spear or a machete thrust, or cut at 

 the soft place on the lower side of the neck : 

 a large vein or artery runs under this soft 

 spot, which, being wounded, the animal curls 

 his tail towards his head, and soon dies. 

 We killed several small ones on our way 

 along the shore. 



After three or four leagues' travelling along 

 the lake, the road strikes off to the left, and 

 runs for some miles through a very thick 

 forest. 



I had recognised, before we left the shore 

 of the lake, the strange booming cry of the 

 red-bearded monkey, that I had seen and 

 heard a year before in another part of that 

 coast. The cry is the most melancholy noise, 

 breaking on the otherwise oppressive silence 



